ALPA, joined by Airlines for
America (A4A), petitioned the FAA today to permit pilots flying as Second In
Command (SIC) to continue to operate aircraft in part 121 operations with a
Second Class medical certificate After August 1, 2013, instead of a First Class
Medical certificate. This exemption was filed in response to the FAA’s April 10,
2013,
Information for Operators (InFO) bulletin 13004, which states, in part:

In
accordance with the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Extension Act of 2010, Public Law (P.L.) 111-216, section 216, pilot flightcrew
members who are authorized to operate in part 121 operations must have obtained
an ATP certificate, issued under part 61 by August 2, 2013, regardless of the
FAA’s progress in related rulemaking. As a result of that requirement, all pilot
flightcrew members will be exercising the privileges of an ATP certificate and,
therefore, will be required to hold a first class medical certificate per §
61.23.

The FAA
emphasizes that P.L. 111-216 does not include any grandfathering provisions for
current pilot flightcrew members who hold commercial pilot certificates. In
addition, the regulations currently do not allow a pilot exercising the
privileges of an ATP certificate to hold any medical certificate other than a
first class medical certificate.

ALPA has previously recommended
to its membership that pilots not holding a First Class medical should endeavor
to obtain it before August 2, 2013. Today’s
petition for exemption from this
rule is intended to protect all pilots flying as SICs in part 121 operations on
the basis of the following: P.L. 111-216, which focuses on pilot training and
other related qualifications, does not direct FAA to amend the medical
qualifications for these pilots; SICs have operated with Second Class medical
certificates for decades with no demonstrable safety impact; and, the
livelihoods of a significant number of pilots, now and in the future, could be
impacted by this ruling.

As has been previously announced,
unless the FAA modifies the regulations regarding the requirements for all
pilots to hold an ATP contained P.L. 111-216, pilots not holding an ATP by that
deadline may not be permitted to be used by a carrier in Part 121 operations.

ALPA continues to do all that it
can to ensure that the employment status of current airline pilots is not
altered by the 2010 law, but it is incumbent upon affected pilots to be fully
aware of what may transpire on August 2, 2013 and prepare accordingly. ALPA will
pass along additional information on this important subject as it becomes
available.

For questions or concerns about
this matter, please contact the Engineering & Air Safety department
(800-424-2470).